Eggplant purée

« Here’s a Mediterranean-style recipe that is totally indispensable once spring is in the air. This improved eggplant purée is the ideal accompaniment for lamb or grilled mutton and makes the base ingredient for tapas. »

Make cuts in the meat of the eggplant and insert one-half of the thinly sliced garlic inside these cuts

Place the eggplant halves in a heat-resistant dish that you have previously oiled

Drizzle olive oil over the top of the eggplants

Bake the eggplants for 1 hour in an oven preheated to 350°F (180°C) (th 4)

Remove the eggplants from the oven and scoop out the flesh with a spoon.

Save the flesh and chop it up finely with a knife

Put aside the skin of one eggplant half and cut it into small pieces

Heat a splash of oil in a browning skillet at medium heat

Add the anchovy filets and fry them in the oil, stirring well for 2 minutes

Add the rest of the garlic, the red onion, and cook for another 3 to 4 minutes

Add the chopped up flesh of the eggplant and mix well

Let cook for several more minutes to evaporate a bit of the moisture from the mix

Remove from heat

Add the chopped eggplant skin, the capers, the chopped parsley, and the chopped tomatoes.

Salt and pepper to taste. Little salt will be necessary due to the anchovies

Add a trickle of olive oil and vinegar

Mix well

Serve warm or cold

Suggestion

This “caviar” makes an excellent side dish for lamb, or as a base ingredient for tapas—spread on grilled bread slices for an appetizer.

A number of versions of eggplant purée exist depending on the region, so I would never claim that this recipe is the one and only original recipe. Versions from Provence exist which utilize thyme, and there are even oriental recipes which incorporate mint, cardamom, star anise, cinnamon and other spices.

All of these varieties offer us a wealth of opportunities to prepare delicious eggplant purées.